Iran leaves Mexico after World Cup run marked by political friction

Iran’s national team left North America on Tuesday, ending a World Cup stay in Mexico that was defined as much by politics as by football. For many Iranians watching from home, the squad’s brief run still offered moments of pride, even as the players missed the knockout stage by a narrow margin.

The team spent about three weeks in Tijuana after a late change from an originally planned training base in Arizona. The shift came amid U.S. visa and security complications, and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said her government agreed to let the Iranian side remain in Mexico during the tournament. Iran coach Amir Ghalenoei described the squad as perhaps “the most oppressed team in the whole World Cup” after the team was sent back to Mexico soon after its opening match.

On the field, Iran opened with a 2-2 draw against New Zealand, then followed with draws against Belgium and Egypt. The results kept the team in contention into the final stage of group play, but not enough to advance. After the last group match, Ghalenoei said the host country had treated Iran unfairly and taken away valuable recovery time, adding another layer of grievance to a campaign already overshadowed by off-field disputes.

Those disputes reached beyond the stadiums. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said he did a “happy dance” after Iran’s elimination, a remark an Iranian Football Federation official said said more about Mullin than about the players. The episode became part of a wider atmosphere in which Iranian athletes were watched not only for their results, but for what their performance symbolized in a tournament shaped by tensions with the United States.

In Tijuana, the team found a warmer reception from Mexican supporters, and the players left behind a farewell message expressing gratitude and a wish for “humanity and dignity.” For Iranian fans, that mixture of resilience, travel disruptions and political pressure became as memorable as the matches themselves, as the squad returned home to a country still living with unresolved conflict involving Israel and the United States.